French beat English in running battle at Bupa Great South Run
Old foes England and France went head to head for a second year at the 2011 Bupa Great South Run which took place in Portsmouth on October 30th. The two sides competed in the annual England versus France challenge and the French reigned supreme once again as the nation with the fastest runners, taking the coveted Brittany Ferries trophy back across the Channel.
They finished on average faster than their British counterparts by 2 minutes 32 seconds and Dame Ellen MacArthur, world record-breaking yachtswoman and official starter of the race, presented the trophy to French runners from the City Council of Caen, Portsmouth's twin city.
The Great South Run has been staged in Portsmouth every year since 1991 when it started as a road race with just 2,000 runners. Over the years the event has evolved into Europe's biggest 10-mile running event. Televised live in the UK, in 2009 it became the first 10-mile event in the world to be awarded gold label status by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF).
Brittany Ferries are proud to be an official partner of the Bupa Great South Run, and this year we hosted the pre-race press conference on board Cap-Finistère which saw some of the most talented long distance runners in the world gather on board to discuss their hopes for the 10-mile spectacle.
This year's race saw a record 27,000 participants pacing the streets of Portsmouth. Entries are now open for next year's event which takes place on Sunday 28th October 2012. Find out more.
